Case and link receiver for aerial machine guns



' Marph 7, 1939. J F, HABERUN 2,149,522

CASE AND LINK RECEIVER FOR AERIAL MACHINE GUNS 2 Sheets-Shet -1 FiledOct. 6, 1936 Jon-"4 F: HABERLIN March 7, 1939. J. F. HABERLIN 2,149,522

CASE AND LINK RECEIVER FOR AERIAL MACHINE GUNS 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Filed Oct. 6, 1936 Fig. 2"

3mm Jenn F. HAazRLm Patented Mar. 7, 19 39 UNITED 'YST-A'T'VES cA'sn ANDLINK nscmvnn FOB. AERIAL momma s GUN John F. Haberlin, Seattle, -Wash.,assignor to Boeing Aircraft Company, Seattle, Wash, a

corporation of W Application October 6, 1936, Serial No. 104,198

8 Claims. (CL 89-37-5) My invention relates to devices for thecollection-and disposal of cases and links as ejected from a machinegun, particularly one which is flexibly mounted and wholly enclosed,and, in conjunction with such a device, it relates also to a device forsupplying ammunition in belts to such In airplanes the ammunition isnormally supplied to the machine guns in belts of cartridges 10connected by links, and as each cartridge is disv charged the case anda. link are ejected, usually through difierent openings in the gun. In acase where the machine gun is fixedly mounted it is a comparativelysimple matter to provide a chute whereby the ejected links and cases maybe conbe permitted to drop to the floor, for there they constitute asource of inconvenience, if not danger, to the gunner, who may step uponthem and be caused to fall, or have his aim disturbed, and especially isthis true in gun mounts of the type embodying an enclosure for the gunthrough which only its muzzle protrudes, and with which the gunner isgiven a wide spherical sector of fire, and where in action aconsiderable amount of ammunition may be fired from a given machine Insuch situations as the latter it has heretofore been customary toprovide a chute mounted to move with the gun, terminating immediatelybeneath the gun in a removable sack, in which sack was received theejected links and cases. However, such a sack could not be madesufliciently large'to take a considerable number of such cases andlinks, for thus it would impede the freedom of movement of the gun,andfurthermore its weight, when filled with any considerable number ofsuch discharged links and cases, would become a con- 'slderable item. Itwas therefore made comparatively small, and when filled it had to beemptied to avoid backing up of the links and cases and possiblyjammingthe gun. This was sometimes accomplished by the use of' slidefasteners constituting a separable'metal seam, of the type commonlytermed a zipper, which when opened up permitted the emptying of thesack, but whether its emptying was accomplished in this manner or byremoving it from the end of thechute, there still remained the problemof disposing of the 66 links and cases which it'contained. They could beand usually were dumped from the sack into a. larger container, but thenagain this larger container had to be disposed of in some manner. Theycould not be dumped therefrom upon the floor, for if this were to occurthey might as well '5 have been permitted to drop upon the floorin thefirst instance, and the same reasons for avoiding this made it necessaryto provide a larger container to receive them when the sack was filled.The larger container had to be careit fully disposed or it would upset,spilling the links and cases upon the floor, and it could not well bedumped overboard for the reason that in modern airplanes the gunnerscompartment'is completely enclosed in a turret-like shell, with-outanyaper- 1o ture convenient for the disposal of such material from acontainer.

'Ihus not only was the removal and disposal oi the ejected cases andlinks a matter of dimculty, but it also consumed considerable time,which in 99 action could not be spared, especially as the gunner wasfurther required to remove his ammunition box, when empty orsubstantially so, and to replace it with a loaded ammunition box, and tofeed his belt into the machine gun.

According to the present invention these dimculties are largely obviatedby a construction in which, at the time of removing the empty ammunitionbox, there is removed, without further thought or effort on the part ofthe gunner, the 30 supply rack from which-it was originally taken, 5 andwhen'the'hew ammunition box is placed in V I operative relationship tothe gun there is at the same time, and without thought or efl'orton thepart .of the gunner, a receiver placed in proper relationship to the gunto receive the cases and 0 links from the gun as the new belt ofammunition is used.

My invention, therefore, comprises the novel ammunition box andassociated parts, and the novel mounting and combination thereof withthe 45 gun, the gun mount, and the enclosing shell as part of theaircraft structure,- all as shown in the accompanying drawings and aswill be more fully described and claimed in this specification.

Inthe accompanying drawings I have'shown 50 myinvention in a typicalform, and in association with a typical aircraft structure, machine gun,and mount, it being understood that the individual elements may bevaried, as will be made clear hereafter.

It should be borne in mind further that while the invention isparticularly designed for use upon airplanes, to meet a practical andreal problem which has arisen in that field, its principles are alsoapplicable to other types of gun mounts, as for example upon armoredcars or tanks.

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a typical gun and mount, parts beingbroken away, and showing my invention associated therewith.

Figure 2 is an elevation from the rear or breech end of the gun, showingthe same arrangement, though showing only the immediately supportingpart of the aircraft structure.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the ammunition box, the case and linkcontainer, and the chute, in operative relationship to each other.

Figure {l is a rear elevation of a slightly modified form of the caseand link receiver.

The installation illustrated shows a machine gun 9 supported upon ashell or sphere 8, which is flexibly mounted upon the fuselage I of anaircraft in such a way as to give the gun a wide cegreeof flexibilityand a substantially hemispherical field cf fire. To accomplish this anose turret 1'0 may be mounted to rotate about a longitudinal axis A,being supported from a track II by means such as the rollers I2. Thisturret III has an aperture I3 receiving the spherical shell 8,whichshell is pivotally mounted, by means not shown, to pivot about atransverse axis B with relation to the turret l, for elevationalmovement of the gun. 'Ihe shell 8 includes framework 80, wherein ispivoted a ring 8I upon an axis represented by the trunnions 82 andindicated at C in Figure2, and about the axis of the ring 8| is rotativea ring 83, supported by the rollers 84. The ring 83 has secured to it aforwardly and somewhat downwardly inclined bow 85, from the centralportion of which, between its ends, extends rearwardly a gun mount 86,suitably braced from the ring 83, upon which the gun is mounted in itsintended or usual manner. It will thus be seen that the gun may betraversed by movement about the axis 0, that it may be elevated anddepressed by movement about the axis B, and that it may be positioned inany desired position about the axis' A, and by rotation of the ring 83relative to the ring 8I the gun may always be maintained upright,regardless of its rotation around the axis A. It will beobserved, too,that this construction leaves the shell 8 at one side of the gun and gunmount entirely free of structural members. There is no difficulty ininserting or withdrawing a large container from the breech end of andalongside the gun. Such a container comprises a box generally designatedby the numeral I, and having a partition between its top and bottomdesignated by the numeral II). This divides the box into an upperchamber II, of a shape and size, at least when filled, to contain a beltof live, link-connected cartridges, and a lower chamber I2 of a size (atleast when the chamber II is empty) to receive readily the same numberoi. ejected links and cases as will comprise the belt within the chamberII. The upper chamber. is provided with a feed opening at I3, throughwhich the belt of ammunition isfed, and the lower chamber I2 is providedwith an opening I4, preferably located well above its bottom, for thereceipt of the ejected cases and links. Because of space limitationswithin the shell 8the lower chamber of the box may be elongated, so thatit may have suflicient capacity without increasing its depth.

The gun, adjacent its feed opening, is provided with a support 9|, withwhich a complemental support IS on the box I is engageable quickly andeasily, and as easily disengageable. Preferably the member I9 is ofinverted U shape, and the member 9| is merely a longitudinally extendingbar, so that by movement of the box I lengthwise of the gun from itsbreech end toward its muzzle end, and'then by slight downward.

movement of the box, the box may be supported on the support SI, and bethereby fixed in operative position with relation'to the guns Icedopening. The support 9| is in effect mounted upon the gun mount,although usually carried upon the gun itself, and it is largelyimmaterial in what manner it is supported so long as it adequatelysupports the ammunition box and locates the latter properly withrelation to the gun and to the chute, and, of course, the support mustbe of such character that it can be readily engaged and disengaged, andpreferably by the simpletype of longitudinal and vertical motiondescribed above. As a means of further supporting the box I, andparticularly against side-sway, it is engaged at opposite sides byrollers 81 or other guide means supported from. the-shell8, or morespecifically from the ring 83.

The gun discharges links from a link-ejection opening on the sideopposite its feed opening,

and ejects cases from a case-ejection opening in its. bottom.Appropriate chutes are therefore provided, as the chute 2 and the chute20, the

first-to receive the ejected cases and the second 35 to receive theejected links. Both these chutes may join, and terminate at a pointwhich, when the several elements are properly supported relative to eachother, will discharge the cases and with respect to the position whichwill be assumed.

by every ammunition box when it is supported upon the support 9|. Thegun is secured in position upon its mount 88 with its muzzle onlyprotruding from the shell 8 through a slot 88 therein (Figure l) Anammunition box may be removed from a rack (not shown) within thefuselage I, where it may be supported by a support analogous to themember 9|, moved into the shell 8 alongside the gun, and the shell, itwill be noted, is entirely unobstructed in the operative position to beassumed by the box and. to the rear thereof. Thus the box may be pushedin without dimculty, engaged with the support 9|, and when'thussupported will be fixed in operative relationship to the gun and to thechutes 2 and 20. The belt of ammunition is fedto the gun, and as it isdischarged and the cases and links are ejected they fall by gravitythrough the respective chutes (the gun being albe of larger or ofvariable capacity, if'desired.

9|, the belt of ammunition is fed to the gun, and

the gun ,is immediately ready to reopen fire. The entire operation takesbut a few seconds. The ammunition is kept in the chamber l2 until it isconvenient to remove it, and the gun is out of action but a short time,and only such time as would 1 be required in any event to remove anempty ammunition box and to supply a full one.

To assist in preventing spilling of the cases and links from the chamber82 I may provide a flap or door 55, as shown in Figure 4, pivotedat l6and urged by a spring ll into a position to close the opening Hi. Whenthe box is being mounted upon thegun the closure l may be held downagainst the spring ii, and when it is removedthe spring it willimmediately throw the closure upward into closed position, where it willprevent accidental spilling out of the cases and links. It is held inthe open position when the box is in operative relationship to a gun byengagement with a roller 8?, or by by engagement with the chute 2.

' I do not claim as my invention the ammunition box in the formof theupper chamber 8 l which is not my invention, but the essence of myinvention lies in the combination with such an ammunition box of achamber for the reception of ejected cases and links, and of a capacityto hold those cases and links which originally comprised the belt oflive ammunition in the box above, the whole being so connected andsupportable as to be placed in operative relationship to the gun andchutes by a simple type of movement. I

What I claim as, my invention is:

1. In combination with a machine gun for use upon an airplane or thelike, and an enclosing and supporting shell for the gun, through whichonly its muzzle protrudes, flexibly mounted upon the airplane, anammunition box for the supply of ammunition to the gun in link-connectedbelts, said box being partitioned to define an upper and a lower chambereach having an opening, the upper chamber being shaped to contain such abelt of ammunition and to feed the same through its opening direct tothe gun, the lower chamber being of appropriate size to contain the samenumber of elected links and cases, received through its opening,complemental means carried the one by the box and the other upon theshell, quickly interengageable .and disengageable to support said box inoperative relationship to the gun, and

means independent of said box and carried uponthe shell in operativerelationship to the gun and to the lower opening of the box, to conductto and discharge through the latter, into the lower chamber, the linksand cases as ejected from the gun.

2. In combination with a machine gun for use upon an airplane or thelike, and an enclosing and supporting shell for the gun, through whichonly its muzzle protrudes, flexibly mounted upon the airplane, a box forthe supply of ammunition to the gun in link-connected belts, said boxbeing partitioned to define an upper chamber having an opening andshaped to contain such a belt and to feed it, through its opening,direct to the gun, and to define-a lower chamber of a size to a receiveand contain all such links and cases when ejected from the gun, andhaving an opening to admit the same, complemental means carried the oneby the gun and other by the box, quickly interengageable by movement ofthe box lengthwise of the gun and then downwardly relative to the gun,to support the box in operative relationship to the gun, anddisengageable by reverse movement, the shell being unobstructed in rearof the space occupied by the box in such operative position tofacilitate its engagement and disengagement, and means independent ofthe box and carried upon the shell in operative relationship to the gunand to the lower chamber, to conduct to and discharge within the latter,through its opening, the links and cases as ejected from the gun.

3. In combination with a machine gun for use upon an airplane or thelike, an enclosing shell including a revolubly mounted ring and aforwardly directed bow supported upon said ring, the shell having anaperture for the protrusion of the muzzle of the gun, a gun mountextending rearwardly from said how, between its ends,

whereon the gun is mounted, to move with the ring, a box shaped-to bereceived within the rin between the bow and the gun mount and gun, theshell being unobstructed within and to the rear of such'space, for readymovement of the box thereinto and therefrom, means readilyinterengageable between the box and gun to support the box from the gunand in operative relationship thereto, and readily disengageable, saidbox being partitioned todefine a first and a second chamber each havingan opening, the first chambers opening registering with the feed openingof the gun when the box isheld in operative position, to feedammunition, in a link-connected belt, directly thereto from the firstchamber, and chute means independent of the'box, supported from andmovable with the ring, and disposed to receive links and cases asejected from the gun, and to conduct and deposit them,

the same to the gun, and to define a lower chamber of a size to receiveall the links and cases as ejected from the gun, and originallyconstituting such belt, and having an opening for the reception of thelinks and cases, means on the box for ready engagement with complementalmeans to, support the box in operative position relative to the gun, anda closure for the lower opening spring-urged to closed position.

' 5. In combination with a machine gun for use upon an airplane or thelike, and a flexible mount whereon said machine gun is secured, anammunition boxsupport and a chute each fixed in position relative to andmovable with the gun mount, and the chute having appropriate openingslocated to receive cases and links ejected from thegun, and to dischargethe same, a box having means readily engageable with and disengageablefrom said support to flx the box definitely relative to the gun andrelative to the discharge -'opening of the chute, said box beingpm'titioned to define a chamber for a belt of live ammunition and achamber for elected cases and links, and

, the support,-w1th the'ieeding opening of the gun and with thedischarge opening of the chute. A I

6; In combination with a machine gun for use and movable with the gunmount, a box carry:-

. ing supporting means and readily engageable as a unit with and.disengagea-ble as a unit from said n being removable from andreplaceable. a unit- 1 upon said support, and having appropriate-open,-

lnga registering, when the. box is positioned by support, independentlyof the gun, andhaving appropriate: openings for feeding-of live ammuni-'tion and for the reception of ejected cases and links; andbeingpartltioned to define a chamber,

from which leads the feed opening, for a belt ofllve ammunition, and asecond chamber for the reception of the cases and links, the engagementof thebox-can-led supporting means with mount- :tion to-theg'un;

i JOHN F; HABERLIN. I

